Gospel for September 18 2022 – Luke 16:1-13
Gospel Reflections for September 18 2022
Do you like the way the world is now?
Not many do. There are continual crises in the Middle East, Ukraine, and the constant battles in our election seasons. The future doesn’t look great!
The Gospel also presents a man facing a dismal future. People often blame others for their problems or deny any wrongdoing at all, however, this man accurately recognizes his problems are precisely due to his own sinfulness, greed, and dishonesty.
He contemplates his future carefully, and decides to come clean and finally do the right thing. Some bible scholars believe he had been grossly overcharging his clients, so he decides to rewrite all their bills back to their actual true amounts. He acknowledges his dishonesty, and hopes that will help him in the future. Good thinking!
Look carefully at what he does from a spiritual view. He uses resources that were not his …to help others. We actually do the same with the grace of God …graces we have not earned or own …but can use for the good of others as well. That is what Jesus admires.
He was also successful because he had a clear view of the future he wanted, and took just the right steps to make that happen. That is our task as well. We must have a clear view of what the Kingdom of God looks like, or else we will not know how to get there!
This is the mission of every Catholic parish. Every parish program should reveal this Kingdom of God in real and practical ways that people can understand.
We catch a glimpse of this Kingdom at every Mass, when Jesus says, “This is My Body and My Blood, given for your happiness!” Every Mass is a kind of school of love that teaches you to use what you have, His love for you, which you have not earned, for the good of others.
This kind of total self-giving love that Jesus lived is the place to look for wisdom in making your own world of family, friends, classmates, or fellow workers a better place, and what should always guide all parish programs.
Together, we can live the Kingdom of God …and you can help make your own world and parish the way it should be.
God Bless!
Fr. Dave
That Gospel has always been difficult for me to understand. Your explanation solves that for me. We start every Mass wit the I confess to Almighty God and it puts us in the mood of announcing to those around us that We are Sinners.. This for me gives me Humility when I
Say it.
The Steward in the Gospel is thinking of what will happen to him after losing his job and takes action. The Master feels he did the intelligent course of action. That is some Grnerous Master. The World would be a be tater place with that sort of thinking.
No doubt that we all have a generous Master!
I like your insights Fr. Dave, especially
“We must have a clear view of what the Kingdom of God looks like, or else
we will not know how to get there”
With a deeper understanding of who God is will help us cope better with
whatever He sends, especially in this time of turmoil in our world.
Nobody else has a better offer than Him!
Yes, no one has better help to give than God!
Loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee your precious explanation so beautifully said!!! Loveeeeeeeeeeee that every Mass is a school of love that our Jesus has given to us and we are to use His loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee to help others!!!Beautiful faith, beautiful Jesus!!! loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee living His life of LOVE!!!
Loveeeeeeeeee, franca and dick
Thank you!